1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hoist device and more particularly to a gambrel which may be used to hang up wild game for field dressing in a hunting context. In hunting it is important to expediently dress and/or partially butcher a slain animal in the field to prevent spoiling of the meat and to reduce the weight that must be carried out of a remote wilderness area. When an animal is on the ground it is difficult to reach all sides during field dressing and proximity to the ground increases the risk of contamination of the meat and damage to the hide of the animal. A gambrel is a rack-like device known to hunters to hoist and suspend a slain animal for field dressing. The gambrel directly contacts the animal and holds it in a rigid position, usually by the hind legs. The gambrel is usually hung by a rope or chain from a fixed overhead object such as a tree branch, or a portable structure or on a truck or an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV). A portable winch system may be attached to help lift heavy animals.
2. Description of the Related Art
The traditional method for holding an animal for processing is by making a slice between the Achilles tendon and the lower hind leg bone and inserting a sharpened stick into the slice in each leg to suspend the animal upside-down. The key problems to be solved include that the animal may easily slide off a straight stick, the animal's hind legs may not be held rigidly in place, the low weight to strength ratio of wood requires a large heavy piece of wood to be used, and that of availability—if the hunter is hunting in area with no suitable trees or, if there are available trees, it takes time to look for and craft the right size stick. A problem solved implicitly by the stick device is that of adjustability because each stick is customized for a particular animal. In modern times inventors have devised a wide variety of solutions to the problems involved with lifting animals of various sizes and weights off the ground and suspending them in a rigid position. Prior art has solved the sliding problem by using hooks or clamps and solved the low weight to strength ratio of wood problem by using metal devices but the other issues remain problematic.
Prior art has made progress toward solving the availability problem with devices with varying degrees of portability. The primary design trade-off of prior art is between rigidity and adjustability.
Rigidity is important to hold the animal in a fixed position for field dressing. Sharp implements are used and unexpected movement and lack of control endanger the hunter and makes the job much more difficult. The gambrel designs that maximize rigidity are generally not adjustable. These are fixed “coat hanger” or inverted “V” types. These designs generally have a rigid cross-member and supporting/impaling hooks on opposite ends of the rigid cross-member. Advantages of this design include that they are simple, cheap, sturdy, and have high weight capacity. Disadvantages include very low portability because they are bulky and have large overall dimensions and can't be adjusted for multiple sizes or weight of game so several devices of varying sizes must be carried. It is difficult, for example, to suspend a wild boar from a gambrel designed to suspend an elk. There are also significant disadvantages inherent in a design having a fixed hook position because of the angles created with the legs. For example, if the hooks are too close together the hunter needs to make slice near knee tendon which obstructs the field dressing process. Even if a wide range of sizes are carried, none are going to exactly fit all animals that are hunted.
Adjustability is the most important unsolved problem. It is the nature of hunting that there is no way to know beforehand what type or weight of animal that will be obtained. There have been many attempts to solve this problem with devices of varying complexity. Prior art devices that maximize adjustability generally lack strength and rigidity and are unable to hold heavier animals. These devices include folding arms, chain or strap types and telescoping with pins. The drawbacks of these designs include that they can't be fully adjusted for various sizes or are not portable or do not maintain rigidity. A T-type design is “self adjusting” or, in practice, continuously adjusting, which means that it cannot provide rigidity. Some game supports or gambrels are too complex for practical field use and require addition optional equipment that also must be carried out into the field.
There is a need for a simple portable device that is fully adjustable yet, once adjusted, maintains rigidity. The present invention maximizes adjustability but also provides rigidity in a very strong, light, safely portable solution.